Cathedral Congregation News
June 2012
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From the Vicar When you haven’t taken the time to pray, to connect with the source of life, it’s like not brushing your teeth. Former Archbishop Desmond Tutu recently visited the Cathedral for a conversation with our Presiding Bishop, Katharine Jefferts Schori, about the church’s mission. At the beginning of the conversation, the moderator noted that Archbishop Tutu had sat in silence in a corner of Perry Auditorium before the taping, so he asked him about the importance of prayer. Archbishop Tutu described the seminal place that prayer has in his life; it was a welcome reminder to all of us to ground ourselves in prayer as we begin each day or prepare to embark on any new undertaking. View this thoughtful conversation online » 
As we prepare ourselves for a summer possibility of Sabbath, how are we planning to connect ourselves to “the source of life” that Archbishop Tutu mentions? In our hyper-connected world and lives, it is even more important to be intentional in the ways we unplug from the busyness and stay connected to our deepest grounding in God. One of the books I am reading related to my doctoral studies is a provocative book by William Powers titled Hamlet’s Blackberry: Building a Good Life in the Digital Age. In the book, Powers attempts to solve what he calls the conundrum of connectedness. He uses his own life experiences as a laboratory and draws on some of the greatest thinkers in history, including Plato, Shakespeare, and Thoreau, to demonstrate how to balance digital connectedness with disconnectedness. One upcoming opportunity to unplug is happening right in our midst at the Cathedral. Bishop Mariann will be leading a half day pilgrimage in partnership with the Cathedral Center for Prayer and Pilgrimage. You can find details about that here. If you would like to learn more about the Center, I encourage you to attend the Connections session with coordinator Tiffany Montavon on June 24. The summer promises to be a busy one, and that is no doubt one reason why summer Sabbath is on my mind! I will begin my last summer residency for my doctoral studies at Virginia Theological Seminary on June 25. On July 5, I fly to Indianapolis to join the Diocese of Washington deputation as a delegate to our triennial General Convention of The Episcopal Church. You will find information about that important event below. With our growing congregation, there is much planning to do this summer for a full fall. With God’s grace and all of you, our congregation is continuing its amazing growth, and with that growth comes great opportunity. As our Interim Dean, Frank Wade, reported to the Cathedral Chapter this week, “The Cathedral Congregation is growing at about 1% per month which is unheard of in the church today.” So, this will be a busy summer, but be assured that I am also planning some vacation time in August. May you also find time for summer Sabbath. Blessings and in faith, Follow the Action  Many of our clergy (including our Vicar and Bishop Mariann) and lay delegates from around the US and other countries represented in The Episcopal Church will be heading soon to Indiana for the seventy-seventh General Convention, the governing body of the Episcopal Church. This is the body that approved ordination for women in 1976. It is a “bicameral legislature that includes the House of Deputies, which has more than 800 members, and the House of Bishops, which is comprised of nearly 300 active and retired bishops. The Convention meets every three years and has the authority to amend the Constitution and Canons of the Episcopal Church; adopt the budget for the church for the next three years; authorize liturgical texts and amend the Book of Common Prayer; adopt communions and covenants with other churches; set qualifications for orders of ministry and office-holders; elect officers of the General Convention, the Executive Council, and members of boards; and delegate responsibilities to the committees, commissions, agencies, and boards of the Episcopal Church.” To follow the proceedings, bookmark the convention website. Directory News: Watch Your Inbox  New editions of the Contact and Pictorial member directories are underway. To confirm the accuracy of your contact entry, final proofs will be sent to each member or household on June 22. If your information is correct, you will not have to respond. Please allow for email delivery delays; if you have not received a proof by June 25, however, please contact the Directory Team. Availability of the updated directories will be announced in the July e-newsletter issue. Please note that you must be a member of the congregation to be listed. To join or find out more about the congregation, click here » Cathedral Connections Series Returns  Our popular summer Cathedral Connections are underway. Each Sunday, in the 10:10 “Forum spot” we will once again be given “behind the scenes” perspectives from members of the Cathedral community. Last week, members and enthralled visitors were treated to special roof views hosted by Stone Mason Foreman Joe Alonso. Next up, join Interim Cathedral Dean Frank Wade this Sunday in Perry Auditorium for a discussion and Q&A session. The series also contains field trips to the Center for Prayer and Pilgrimage and the Bishop’s Garden. Follow the links in the sidebar to individual sessions. The series continues through July 22. See the schedule » Don’t Stop the Music  Even though our choristers are on break and some of our musicians are on concert tours abroad, the music doesn’t stop. Visiting choirs from Indiana, North Carolina, Florida, England, and the Royal School of Church Music (RSCM) will offer their gifts of Choral Evensong during twilight in the great choir on many weekdays and Sundays. View the schedule » The sixteenth annual YouthCUE Nation’s Capital Festival Grand Concert returns on July 2. The concert features a combined choir of 200 youth from 9 individual choirs, spanning across 9 US states and 5 Christian denominations, accompanied by members of the National Symphony Orchestra. Learn more » Celebrate the Fourth of July with our Cathedral organists; the Washington Symphonic Brass; and master of ceremonies Michael Barone, host of American Public Media’s Pipedreams. Highlights include George Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue played by Jeremy Filsell on the piano and Sousa’s rousing Stars and Stripes Forever. Learn more » Rejoice in Hope Elizabeth Gardner – Cathedral Seminarian Reflects on the Year  We first met Elizabeth on our “pilgrimage” after the earthquake. Read her reflection on her first year with us. In this upcoming program year she will help launch the Family Ministry. See the July 29 entry and watch for more details in the July newsletter issue. Read her reflection »  Postulants Reporting In Our Congregation postulants continue on their journey toward the priesthood. Read the updates We Belong Together:  When the partnership began in early 2004, then-Archbishop Njongonkulu Ndungane said, “We cannot choose our human family and we cannot choose our Christian family either. Our job is to recognize that we belong to God and we belong together.” Learn how our diocese and congregation are involved in the initiatives such as the Children-to-Children Campaign. Read more » Supporting the World AIDS Conference  The Cathedral invites your prayers and support for the upcoming conference to be held in Washington, D.C. In partnership with St. Alban’s Parish, the Cathedral Congregation is sharing the costs of hosting a minister from South Africa who is faithfully working with HIV agencies and the LGBT community. We welcome contributions toward the $1,750 that is needed to ensure his costs are covered. Checks may be made payable to Washington National Cathedral with “World AIDS Conf. hosting” in the memo line of your check. Please mail your check in care of the Office of the Vicar to the attention of Wayne Fowler. For more information about this conference and the Cathedral’s response, please contact Cathedral Missioner Patty Johnson. For more information on our outreach programs and advocacy groups, visit the Urban Ministry homepage » |
Martha’s Table SUNDAY, JUNE 17 8:30-11:15 AM Conversation with Frank Wade SUNDAY, JUNE 17 10:10 AM Newcomer Welcome and Orientation SUNDAY, JUNE 17 following the 11:15 am service Choral Evensong SUNDAY, JUNE 17 4 PM Cathedral Sings! SUNDAY, JUNE 17 7:30 PM Prayer & Pilgrimage SUNDAY, JUNE 24 10:10 AM Ultimate Sunday Brunch SUNDAY, JUNE 24 12:45 PM Cathedral Crossroads TUESDAY, JUNE 26 6–8:45 PM Earth’s Crammed with Heaven FRIDAY, JUNE 29 12 PM Feast of Saints Peter & Paul FRIDAY, JUNE 29 12 PM Bishop’s Garden Tour SUNDAY, JULY 1 10:10 AM Close-up Tour SUNDAY, JULY 1 1:30 PM YouthCUE Concert MONDAY, JULY 2 7:30 PM Annual Independence Day Organ Recital WEDNESDAY, JULY 4 11 AM Beirut and Beyond SUNDAY, JULY 15 10:10 AM A Liturgy Commemorating the NAMES Project AIDS Memorial Quilt SATURDAY, JULY 21 7 PM Music Department Update SUNDAY, JULY 22 10:10 AM Family Ministry Picnic SUNDAY, JULY 29 11 AM |
Washington National Cathedral
3101 Wisconsin Ave., N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20016
(202) 537-6200
from Rebecca Myers and Cameron Soulis.
Sally Slater’s report will appear in the July issue.
Help feed the homeless in the D.C. area. Drop off your sandwiches and fruit at Hearst Circle at NCS. 
Join Interim Dean Frank Wade for a conversation and Q&A on the first six months of 2012. 
Learn about the Cathedral Congregation and explore its life and ministries.
The Rev. Canon Jan Naylor Cope, preacher; Christ Church Cathedral, Indianapolis, guest choir. 
Singers of every ability are welcome to join in Orff’s stirring Carmina Burana. 
Join Tiffany Montavon, Center for Prayer and Pilgrimage coordinator, for a tour of the Center and a sampling of its resources. 
20s&30s participants choose a restaurant and enjoy one another's fellowship. 
An evening of spiritual practice; free and open to the public. Special program “Poetry for Midsummer” led by Terri Lynn Simpson, 7:30 pm. 
Join Bishop Mariann and other members of the diocese for an afternoon pilgrimage. 
This Feast Day service includes prayers, Scripture, a homily, hymn singing, and Holy Eucharist. All are welcome.
All Hallows Guild guide Anne Wiebe will take us on a tour of the the Bishop’s Garden. 
A tour of stained glass, mosaics, sculpture, and chapel furnishings that interpret the people and events of the Civil War. 
The sixteenth annual YouthCUE Nation’s Capital Festival Grand Concert features a combined choir of 200 youth from 9 individual choirs. Free and open to all. 
This popular concert is fun for the whole family and features a variety of marches and patriotic music played by organists Scott Dettra and Jeremy Filsell and the Washington Symphonic Brass. 
Hear about the second Christian-Muslim Summit from the Rev. Lyndon Shakespeare who attended this summer in Beirut. 
Canon Mike McCarthy shares highlights for the upcoming program year and updates on happenings within the music department. 
Join our growing community of families with young children to picnic and plan future family activities and events.